Nobody asked me, but.... I'll accept your comments (please remain civil!)
You know why ... it's about control and power, not money. If the schools were only clearing houses for cash, there would be no union to manipulate the political process ... no votes to 'buy'. Just a bunch of business owners who would invariably be ... conservatives.
Hmmm,...I smell the NEA behind this. Anything that gets between a public school and their liberal indoctrination of impressionable young minds MUST be smashed.
You're not suggesting PA Rep. Karen Beyer recieved campaign funds from the NEA are you?
I am not saying she did, but it would explain why she's so anti-cyber school.
cyber schools rob the taxpayer, they only lend a kid a computer. they don't supply the following buses. gyms, sport activities,bands, plays, cafeterias,concerts,any type of extra activities. if they get $3000.00 it would be $1000.00 too much. and as far as charter schools go anytime a parent chooses the school it should be considered private school. almost all the children i know go to cyber school because they flunked and can't face their peers. there is a need for these but not at the cost. midland cyber charter is run by nick trombetta, superintendent of midland school district check out his polictical donations versus any other super in beaver county, plus he is so broke he owns half of midland in the name of cyber schools.
John,
First off, Cyber Charters do not rob taxpayers. Let us dismiss this myth off the bat. You are correct that they do not supply buses, gyms, or cafeterias; this is quite true. They do supply books, equipment, a computer, printer, etc., as you said, and reimbursement for an ISP.
But they also provide sport activities, field trips, outings, and other extra activities. There are art and poetry contests, book clubs, robotics classes, and a variety of other programs that rival the traditional 'brick and mortar' schools.
Your statement that anytime a parent chooses the school it should be considered private school flies in the face of the law; the law is the law, and clearly your statement is not in line.
That cyber school students flunked out of traditional schools: were that the case, the placement tests given by the cyber schools would have the student at the appropriate level (i.e. a 12 year old might be placed in 5th grade instead of 6th).
And even if your point was valid, would you want kids who 'flunked' sitting next to your kids in their school? Again, your premise is incorrect.
Cyber schools get about 75% of the per capita costs of the local school district for kids from the local districts. That means your school district makes 25% on every cyber kid, who isn't even in their buildings. Your local district actually MAKES money for every cyber student.
Your final sentence makes no sense at all, so I can't address whatever point you were trying to make. Please try again, and I will be happy to address whatever misconception you have.
Thanks for your comment on my blog.
charlie; fist lets seperate apples from oranges, cyber from charter schools. in midland charter school is basically a brick and motar school and i don't have anything against the funding for that except parents who choose christian schools should be payed for, also, its parents choice. cyber don't have 75% of the cost of a brick and mortar school, name a cyber sport team, cyber band, cyber thespians. they don't deserve 25% of per capita cost.
What traditional school superintendent do you know paid over $40,000 republican and democrat in political contributions over the past several years. with a 67 million budget a year, i guess that probably cheap. plus the nepotism is unreal. you sound very intelligent, but a field trip is the same as an outing and you missed the bus on cyber school cost.
John,
I am not now, nor have I ever, addressed brick & mortar (B&M) charter schools. There many fine such schools, but that's never been a topic for me to discuss. I have not raised any issue regarding Christian schools, either, except to say a school voucher system, allowing parents to choose ANY state-certified school is the absolute way to go.
Cyber Charters do collect whatever the per capita cost per student each local school district pays for each student. The state reimburses the local school district up to 30% of that cost. That means the local district gets up to 30% of the tuition for a student who ISN'T THERE.
Don't take my word for it: here's an article written AGAINST cyber schools that points to that 30%; while the article distorts how accountable cyber charters are (FACT: they are as much accountable as B&M schools, and in some cases more so), it does present fairly accurate fiscal data.
Regarding political contributions: I'll put any School Superintendent's donations against the Teacher Union contributions. Any day.
I won't debate intelligence with you, John. After you review the facts I have presented (now, and in the previous posts), if you don't believe you need to rethink your position, or if you cannot counter them with your own evidence, the truth will speak for itself.
Commenting by HaloScan
